Honour
by Maladin
Summary: Sometimes, the only choice you have is between a rock and a hard place.
1. Prologue

**All characters belong to Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko and Nickelodeon.**

* * *

"Suki! Suki!"

The young warrior slowed her walk, tightened her grip over the handle of the bucket she was holding and turned her head towards the source of the familiar voice. She saw Koko trotting in her direction, waving her hand to catch her attention. Suki then came to a stop and slowly whirled around to face her.

"Is there a problem Koko?"

"No," the little girl stated as she brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. "I just wanted to know if you wanted to be with us for the picture."

Suki arched her eyebrows. "The picture?"

"Yes. Gahaku will paint the Avatar. And us, too!" Koko replied with a smile.

"Thanks for inviting me," Suki then said, "but I must go to the well in the forest to fill in this bucket."

Koko's lips puckered into a pout. "But Gahaku's painting just by the waterfall…"

"Perhaps, but it's my turn to fill the bucket," Suki insisted. "Back when she was only a young girl training to become a warrior, Kyo-"

"-Kyoshi went each day to the well to draw water," Koko said mechanically. "Since then, every day, one Kyoshi warrior must go fill a bucket. It symbolizes Kyoshi's discipline. Then the warrior shares the water with her group. It symbolizes her compassion and devotion to her people."

Suki blinked. "I'm… very proud of you Koko," she stated after her surprise diminished. "You'll be a fine Kyoshi warrior one day." Koko returned her smile. "But I must go now. Go see Gahaku before he paints the picture without you." She tapped on her back before sending her away. "Shoo!"

She then left the village, waving at the passer-bys in the process, and entered the forest. The twigs brought on the dirt road by the morning breeze cracked under her shoes as she strolled between the trees, tossing her bucket from one hand to another in order to test her reflexes; they were still excellent. She glimpsed occasionally in direction of a sudden sound and more often than not noticed a little animal frolicking around. She also took in the wonderful sight of the forest: trees, bushes and flowers. She had always considered the trips to Kyoshi's well as pleasant, and today was no exception.

She reached the glade where the water well was. It consisted of a short circle of old rocks more or less joined together with mortar, flanked by a long stick embedded in the grass, decorated of a large metal ring to which a solid rope was strongly tied. Suki put down her bucket and started to pull the rope out of the well. When it was out, she carefully tied the free end of the rope to the handle of her bucket before dropping the container in the circular abyss.

The bucket fell into the water with a resounding splash. Suki waited a few seconds for the water to fill the wooden container. After that, she tightened her grip on the rope and pulled on it until the bucket was out of the well. She untied the rope and clasped the handle of the now full bucket.

She turned around and gasped, dropping the bucket on the grassy ground. It rolled away pathetically, empty, until it hit a pointed boot and stopped all motion.

"Zuko."


	2. Chapter One

Zuko stared coldly at her, his helmet sending sharp shadows over his scowling face. He stood before her, fully armoured and with his arms crossed, completely silent.

As her eyes lingered on his unsettling scar, Suki felt her blood leave her face to leave something as cold as the floes of the poles. It wasn't the scar that caused such a reaction within her, she knew it. It was what the prince's presence implied for the entire island.

She stood there, frozen, and Zuko knelt down and picked up her empty bucket.

"I see you remember me," he said as he extended his arm and held his hand open, the handle of the bucket resting on the palm as the wooden container swung slightly because of the movement. "And you know why I'm here."

Suki mechanically took the bucket with both hands. He was right, she perfectly knew the reason of his presence. It filled her with visions of nightmare, images of burning houses, screaming people and sobbing children. She forced herself to remain silent but the words escaped her lips nonetheless in the form of a whisper. "Aang."

"So his name is Aang, hm?" Zuko said as he started to walk around her, forcing Suki to turn her head to keep her eyes on him. "Our deal was formal. I spared your village even though you and your warriors attacked us when we accosted, on the condition that I am _immediately_ informed of his presence if he ever came here." He stopped circling her and faced her again. "And you didn't."

Suki stayed silent as she slowly regained her composure, blood coming back to her cheeks. "What makes you think that?" she eventually said, taking a more relaxed stance. "You learned the Avatar was here. I did my job."

Zuko laughed scornfully. "Nice try." He lightly shook his head. "It seems only my nation still knows what honor is about."

Suki frowned and narrowed her eyes.

"The Avatar made me promise to not harm the villagers of the southern Water Tribe who hid him if he went with me to the Fire Nation." He shook his head again, this time with his eyes closed. "He broke his word. The villagers suffered the consequences."

It was, of course, a lie. Zuko realised there was nothing to gain in burning the village down, other than sordid congratulations from Zhao and disappointment from his uncle. But Suki didn't know that, and she didn't need to know.

"You broke your word," he stated simply. "Your village will burn."

"No!" The bucket fell on the ground once again as Suki rose both hands. "Don't burn my village." She dropped to her knees and bowed until her forehead touched the ground. "Please…" Her humiliation as a warrior was a little price to pay for her people's safety.

The firebender merely cocked an eyebrow as he looked down at her.

"I'll do anything you ask." Suki instantly bit her lip. She knew her offer would soon come back to haunt her.

"Bring me the Avatar tonight at the beach west of the village."

He left as noiselessly as he came and disappeared in the foliage.


	3. Chapter Two

Tonight was another night of celebration within the village where Kyoshi was born. The inhabitants of the other villages that populated the island had been invited and merry conversations were rife. Children and adults alike danced cheerfully in the vast place of the village, musicians giving them tempo and pleasing the ears. Naturally, Aang and his friends were present, as the Avatar was the very reason of the celebration.

Summoning all her courage, Suki left her fellow warriors to march towards Aang. Her legs felt heavier with each step. She made sure to slip from one shadow to another to avoid unnecessary attention.

"Oh, Suki!"

Suki abruptly turned her head towards the voice and was welcomed with the sight of a smiling warrior of the Water Tribe. "Sokka?" she murmured, her eyes switching between his face and Aang, gaily chatting with Katara.

"Yeah, it's me." He looked down and kicked the dust with his foot. "I was wondering if you wanted… if you wanted to dance with me…" he asked, looking back at her face.

Suki's heart sunk. "Sokka, really, I'd… I'd _love_ to, but… there's something really important I need to do," she said, smiling sadly.

Sokka's shoulders slumped. "Oh…" He gazed around before focusing on her. "Are you sure it can't wait?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Maybe next time…" She knew there wouldn't be a next time.

Sokka walked away, disappointed, and Suki moved towards Aang, feeling more horrible as the seconds went by.

She tapped his shoulder. "Aang? I'd like to show you something. It's an Avatar thing."

Aang looked at her, then at Katara. "Wanna go with us Katara?"

Suki interrupted Katara before she could even reply. "Only the Avatar can go there."

Aang's expression saddened. "Oh…" He then brightened up. "Well, let's see that place!"

With two waves to Katara, and two others to Sokka who was unsuccessfully chatting up a Kyoshi warrior, the duo left the festivities and disappeared into the forest.

The moonlight shined through the high branches and the wind rustled through the leaves as Suki and Aang walked down the dirt road. Aang walked quickly, occasionally getting closer to the edge of the forest and poking bushes with his staff as he heard animals, whereas Suki walked as slowly as she could.

"Are you fine Suki?" Aang asked suddenly.

"Y… yes, why?"

"Your voice is croaking."

Suki brought her hand to her mouth. She hadn't noticed it. "It's… I caught a cold. Nothing serious." She forced her lips to form a smile.

"Ah." He stayed silent for a few minutes. "Is it the cold that makes you walk so slowly?"

Suki swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yes…"

"If you're ill, we should wait before going there."

"No, no!" Suki cried, wishing she could wait. "It's very important."

Aang nodded.

After ten minutes of march, they finally reached the beach. Aang noticed Suki being much more nervous than a few moments ago but before he could ask her anything, they were surrounded by shadows. Within an instant, the entire scene was illuminated as Zuko summoned a fire above his palm.

"Avatar," Zuko greeted sinisterly as his guards closed in on the duo.

Aang took a combat stance. "You won't harm her," he replied simply.

Suki closed her eyes and winced. It made it all the more difficult. "I'm sorry Aang…" she murmured, a tear in her eye and staining her makeup, before jabbing strongly the airbender on the nape of his neck, knocking him out cold.

Two guards took his body to bring him to the nearby ship. Before he left as well, Zuko turned towards Suki. "Good job," he said with a nod before entering his vessel.

Suki watched blankly the vessel slowly depart and dropped to her knees.


	4. Chapter Three

Suki erred on the beach like a wandering soul lost in the night. She traipsed on the sand, her head filled with so many thoughts she didn't hear the waves and feared her skull would explode.

She should have fought. That was why she became a Kyoshi warrior in the first place, to protect those who couldn't do it themselves. But now she'd disgraced everything she stood for and, worst of all, everything her role model Kyoshi stood for.

She'd just betrayed her village, her people. She'd just betrayed the entire world and abandoned its last hope for peace and harmony and why? Because she was a coward, such a worthless coward. The blood that flowed through her veins wasn't brave in any way; only the blood of a traitor. Her heart hadn't been the one of an honourable warrior, but the one of an honourless craven.

She was with the Avatar. With his help, she could have defeated the blackmailing prince and his cronies, but instead she helped them to capture Aang. She'd let fear get to her heart and thought only about her people and not about the bigger picture. She had no excuse, only weakness.

A resounding splash brought her out of her guilt. The moon shone greatly, the illumination it provided almost matching the sun's, and she spotted the Unagi stirring among the waves. She looked around and realised she wasn't far from her village. She closed her eyes, a single tear running down her cheek.

She looked back at the Unagi, silent protector of the island. It didn't prevent Zuko to reach her. But she knew she couldn't blame it; the fault was hers and hers alone.

She took one of the silk threads hanging from her headpiece between her thumb and her forefinger and observed it intently. She repeated her move with the other thread. Then she grimaced and tore them off her headpiece before throwing them on the sand. She didn't deserve them; she had dishonoured these symbols of bravery. She then ripped her golden insignias off her sleeves.

Walking closer to the sea, she produced a round metal box from under her armour. She opened it to reveal a greasy substance. She poured some in the palm of her hand and then proceeded to rub her face with it, removing her makeup. Bearing the same style as Kyoshi was an insult to the late Avatar.

She dropped the open box on the sand and walked towards the sea until waves touched the tip of her boots. She first dropped her fans and then expertly removed her armour, swiftly followed by her robe. She then kicked her boots off her feet. Now wearing nothing more than her undergarments and her headpiece, she quickly threw down the latter.

Suki took one last glance at the Unagi, near her position as if guessing her intent. She took a great breath before jumping into the water and swimming towards the hungry giant eel.


	5. Chapter Four

Suki's face twitched a little as her body started to awake. She felt she was laying on a mattress directly on the floor; the training room. She slowly opened her eyes and was welcome with the sight of Oyagi and her fellow warriors worriedly leaning over her. She blinked twice; why was she still alive? She most certainly didn't deserve it.

"Suki! You're finally awake!" Oyagi cried.

"What were you thinking?" one warrior asked.

"You scared us!" another added.

"It's already bad we can't find the Avatar!" a third one supplemented.

Suki flinched at those words. She turned towards them and sat on the bed. She noticed the other occupants of the large room: Sokka, Katara, Koko… all the village seemed to be there. All those whose lives she traded for the Avatar's freedom. She felt horrible.

She didn't have the courage to tell them she was the reason of Aang's absence.

"Enough questions!" Oyagi commanded. "She just escaped death!"

"How?" Suki croaked.

Katara took a step forward, separating herself from the crowd gathered within the training house. "I was searching for Aang on the beach when I saw you dive in the sea. I ran and was able to waterbend you back to the shore."

Suki didn't thank her.

"Why did you do that?" Sokka asked. Many approved his question.

"I said enough questions!" Oyagi repeated. "There are too many people here!"

The crowd parted and they all left. Suki buried her face in her hands. She felt nauseous, and not because she didn't eat since Zuko's surprise arrival. She sobbed until she heard a knock on the wood wall by the paper door. She looked up from her hands and saw Koko opening the panel.

"I know Oyagi didn't want us to stay, but I was worried…" she said timidly as she walked to Suki. "Do you feel better?"

Suki stared at the little girl. She felt the urge to pour her guilt out of her soul and to tell the truth about Aang's disappearance to someone, anyone. "I know where Aang is."

Koko's eyebrows rose half way up her forehead. "Really? Where is he?" she asked with an anticipating smile.

Suki sighed. "He's on his way towards the Fire Nation on the vessel of its banished prince." She hung her head in shame as Koko gasped. "I led him to them."

"…Why?" There was no anger in her voice. Only sadness and disbelief.

With a new sigh, Suki proceeded to answer. "We once attacked his crew as they accosted the island. We made a deal; he would forgive that attack if we brought him the Avatar if he ever came here." She looked desolately the village through the open door. "If we didn't, the village would burn."

"That's not a deal," Koko retorted angrily. "That's blackmail."

"Yes… Yes it is." Suki sighed once again, a drawn-out one this time. "But I still betrayed the world. I betrayed Kyoshi…" A tear left her eye. "She must be so ashamed of me."

"You're wrong!" Suki blinked in surprise. "You protected us. Devotion and compassion are Kyoshi's most important values. And you showed them."

Suki stared blankly at Koko. "I don't know…"

"I'm sure Kyoshi would be proud of you!" Koko insisted.

Suki remained silent for a few minutes.

"…I… I think you're right." She stood up. "I'll tell Sokka and Katara. With Appa, we can still catch up with Zuko."

Koko smiled.


	6. Chapter Five

Suki found Sokka and Katara in the house allocated to the Avatar and his friends. To her relief, they were the only occupants of the building. Nevertheless, she was certain everyone in the village heard Katara's scream of rage when she learned Suki's involvement in Aang's disappearance.

"How could you!?" Katara screeched. "He's the only hope we have!"

"It was my village or him," Suki mumbled miserably, using all her strength to hold their gazes instead of hanging her head down for the nth time today. "I'm sorry."

"You should be!"

"Calm down Katara."

Katara looked at Sokka, surprised. "What did you say?"

"I said calm down." He stared at Suki. "I think I'd have done the same thing."

Katara's mouth remained open, forgotten. Her eyes drifted from Sokka, staring directly in front of him, to Suki, who had chosen to look away. "Fine," she said lowly. "We'll just get Appa and find Zuko's ship."

"May… may I come with you?"

Katara's only response was a death glare. She glanced at Sokka, who nodded. She closed her eyes an instant before nodding herself. "Fine." She left the room, swiftly followed by Sokka who gave a last glimpse at Suki.

Sokka and Katara's surprising lenience only made her feel worse. But it wasn't the time to feel guilty. It was time to correct the mistake she made, to save the Avatar she betrayed, to regain the honour she sacrificed.

Suki planned to go with casual clothes instead of her Kyoshi garb and weapons, believing she didn't deserve to use them anymore, but Sokka convinced her otherwise; he told her she did deserve them since she aimed to redeem herself and save the Avatar. He didn't, however, manage to convince her to stitch her silk threads and golden insignias back on her headpiece and sleeves. She wasn't entirely persuaded she deserve the symbols of Kyoshi's valour.

Since her coma lasted up to noon, it was only in the afternoon that they could leave on Appa to seek Zuko's ship. They flew above the ocean, seeing nothing else than water, clouds and a blue sky.

Suki awaited the confrontation with much anticipation. It was because of the banished prince that she betrayed her principles. Who was he to lecture her about honour? He didn't hesitate to threaten innocent villagers in the pursuit of a goal that promised nothing but the suffering of thousands.

"Heh!" Sokka called. "There's a smoke on the horizon!"

"We found Aang!"

Suki turned her head towards and squinted. It was difficult to make out with the sun slowly passing under the horizon, but she saw it. A minuscule puff of smoke, growing closer as Appa continued to fly in its direction.

Suki tightened her fist until her knuckles went white, although she didn't notice because of her gloves. Only one thought inhabited her mind.

_'He will pay.'_

Zuko had ordered his ship to breakneck speed so that he lost as little time as possible on his way back towards his nation, his family and his honour. Nevertheless, his uncle suddenly had the burning need to play Pai Sho with one of his acquaintances, so, when Appa reached the ship, it was docked at the pier of a town occupied by the Fire Nation.

Appa landed not far from their objective but out of sight, behind a nearby hill. The teenagers quickly and furtively made their way to the dock; there was only one guard, a spearman, regularly looking around.

Suki motioned to her fellow rescuers to hide behind the crates stacked on the stone jetty and to leave him to her. She sneaked from crate to crate, moving from one to another only when he looked at the ocean. Once she was close enough, she threw one of her closed fans at the nape of his neck, knocking him unconscious. Sokka felt disappointed; his boomerang could have done that, too.

With the coast clear, the siblings caught up with Suki and they all reached the deck. They spotted Appa floating on the other side of the ship; just as they planned for a quick and decisive escape.

Suki prepared her fans, Sokka his boomerang and Katara her water pouch before hugging the wall by the door. Suki carefully opened the metal panel partway and peeped inside. There was no guard, and no creaking either. She opened the door furthermore and the three of them sneaked into the narrow hall. They opened as silently as possible all the doors they found on their way; they found no one.

"Sokka," Suki whispered, "you told me you already saved Aang from here, right?"

Sokka nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

She frowned. "We're expected."

"Come on, Zuko's not that bright…"

"And you're not that stealthy," said a familiar voice behind them.


	7. Chapter Six

The three rescuers whirled around to see Zuko, fully armoured, standing a few feet from them. His eyes lingered on Suki. "I was right. No honor."

Suki narrowed her eyes to slits and she took a combat stance, fans drawn out. "Leave him to me," she hissed dangerously.

"But-"

"Leave him to me!" Suki repeated with a snarl. "Go find Aang! _Now_! I'll hold him off!"

The firebender gave an amused smirk. He threw a punch to summon a fireball but Suki was quicker than him and charged him, hitting him with all the weight of her armoured body; he fell on the floor. Suki turned around and nodded at the siblings. They nodded back and ran down the corridor.

Zuko threw himself back on his feet, kicking Suki in the stomach with both feet in the process. She stumbled back with a yelp and dropped her fans. Zuko then firebent at her; she stood her ground and protected herself with her arms.

"You know nothing about honor," Zuko said, his tone shifting from amusement to anger.

"You're the one with no honor," Suki growled as she crouched to take back her fans. "Threatening innocents isn't honorable!" She charged him again.

"I'm not expecting a lowly peasant to understand," Zuko snarled back as he firebent again.

Suki spread her fans before her to minimise the damage. "Fighting a non-bending isn't very honorable either." She lowered her fans to reveal a smirk. "Afraid you can't beat me without firebending?"

It was Zuko's turn to narrow his eyes to slits. "I can perfectly defeat you without bending." To prove his point and despite the narrowness of the corridor they were fighting in, he delivered a roundhouse kick that sent Suki into the wall. She bounced off the metal and dropped to her knees.

But she wasn't defeated; she tripped him with her leg before getting back on her feet. He fell on his back and Suki instantly straddled him to prevent any movement. She then pressed both her fans on his throat.

"You'll pay for dishonoring me," she hissed in his burnt ear as she applied more pressure on his windpipe.

"Y-you know nothing about h-honor!" Zuko repeated as he had more and more difficulty to breathe. He threw his head forward, smacking hard on Suki's forehead. She staggered back as her vision grew troubled. He stood up. "Absolutely nothing."

Their fight resumed, each warrior trying to best the other. They were left unperturbed in their conflict as all the guards but the sentinel looking after the ship. They clashed constantly, their battle sending them in the innermost parts of the vessel.

At one point, Zuko spotted the siblings from the corner of his eye at the other side of the hall they fought in as he dodged a fan directed at his scar. The Avatar was with them. They stopped there, watching the fight worriedly.

"Suki! Follow us!" Sokka cried.

"That's it!" Zuko screamed. He released an enormous blast of fire in front of him, knocking Suki to the floor and burning parts of her robe. "You won't escape me again, Avatar!"

He thrust towards the trio but Suki countered his momentum with a kick of both legs in the torso and Zuko hit the floor once again.

Suki stood up. "Leave!"

"Not without you!" Sokka shouted back.

"I told you I'll hold him off! _Leave_!" She threw one fan at him to emphasise her will.

"Come with us Sokka," Katara said sadly as she saw Suki rush back towards their enemy.

They left, to Suki's great relief and satisfaction. She wouldn't leave before making Zuko pay. She doubled her efforts to hurt him and their clash led them in the inferior levels of the ironclad. Zuko had resumed firebending, and she could feel her metal fans slowly becoming too hot for her to hold. She threw them at Zuko; one missed, the other hit his face right on the scar. He howled in pain and brought one hand to his scar while firebending at Suki with the other. She smirked; she'd believed that she couldn't use the strength of a firebender against him, but she now knew otherwise.

Now defenceless against his fire, Suki ran away from him. He swiftly followed and she soon reached a door; the one leading to the depot of explosive jelly the sailors used to destroy the icebergs too big to be melted by firebending. She opened the door at once and Zuko crashed into it.

Zuko quickly recovered and closed the door on her, sending her on the floor of the room. He then charged him and started to summon another fireball.

Meanwhile, Sokka and Katara were safely seated in Appa's saddle, Aang leading the beast away from the ship. Abandoning Suki didn't feel right, even if she requested herself.

"Let's go back for her," he told his friends.

"Yes," the siblings answered in unison.

But as Aang directed Appa towards the ship, an explosion eviscerated the vessel, lighting the night with a fiery glint and propelling sizzling shards of metal in the air. Aang promptly hauled back the reins to dodge the deadly debris, causing Sokka and Katara to stumble in the saddle.

They watched in horror as the carcass of metal that remained on water slowly sunk underneath the waves. Katara closed her eyes; she could feel tears forming under her eyelids. Aang's mouth was agape as he watched sadly the carnage. Sokka was the most hurt; he stared blankly at the debris of the smouldering ironclad.

"At least she died honorably," he said miserably. "She regained her honor."

None of them found comfort in this fact.


End file.
